Bubble watch, from the Huskies’ perspective

Let’s be clear: Nothing matters if Washington loses to Oregon State on Thursday.

Little will matter if Washington loses in the second round of the Pac-10 Tournament. The Huskies appear to need to reach the final to keep themselves deep in the bubble mix.

But while Huskies fans wait for Washington to tip-off Thursday night, here’s who to keep an eye on in the interim and going forward:

Texas Tech. Remember them? The Red Raiders shifted into reverse and hit the gas about midway through the season. Pat Knight’s team won its Big 12 first round game. Thursday, the Red Raiders play No. 1 Kansas. Chance in Congress? Probably not. But just playing that game will give the Huskies a slight RPI boost.

Illinois plays Wisconsin on Friday in the Big 10 Tournament. If the Illini win, that likely seals an at-large bid for them.

San Diego State plays Colorado State on Thursday. The Aztecs, just inside the bubble according to ESPN’s Joe Lunardi, beat the Rams twice this season. A loss here would likely kick San Diego State out of the tournament.

Mississippi waits for the winner of the LSU/Tennessee game. That game is Friday. Huskies fans want to root against Ole Miss no matter the opponent.

Memphis plays Houston in the Conference USA second round on Thursday. Would be a bad loss if the Tigers blew it.

Seton Hall plays Notre Dame Wednesday afternoon. Lose, and the bubble likely bursts for the Pirates. If the Irish lose, then things get trickier for them though they are in a much better position pregame than Seton Hall is.

Rhode Island and Dayton of the Atlantic 10 each play Friday and each need to win. Rhode Island plays a solid St. Louis squad and Dayton faces No. 24 Xavier.

UAB plays Southern Miss on Thursday. Huskies fans want Southern Miss to win, then lose in the next round.

Mississippi State plays the Auburn/Florida winner on Friday in the SEC Tournament. Best-case scenario for Huskies’ fans? Auburn beats both. Doubt it will happen. Assuming Florida wins, the Gators currently hold a better position than the Bulldogs. So it would be go Gators if you want Washington to benefit.

Montana plays for the Big Sky Championship Wednesday night. Obviously a win by the Grizzlies would help the Huskies. The Big Sky will be a one-bid conference no matter what happens.